


Trees Have Feelings Too

by MadMothMadame



Category: Naruto
Genre: Definitely depends on the definition, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Fluff, Gift Exchange, Humor, M/M, Obitou, Short One Shot, This is very far from my usual, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, but i hope you like it, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26209336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadMothMadame/pseuds/MadMothMadame
Summary: A better man might have dealt with more important things, greater evils, or even a certain plant-monster that instead took him five years to track down and burn to a crisp, but Kakashi had arrived in the past with only one real goal.Obito. Always.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito
Comments: 22
Kudos: 371
Collections: One-Shot Goldmine





	Trees Have Feelings Too

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Obitou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obitou/gifts).



Kakashi lounged back against the grass below him and stared vaguely past his Icha Icha Book to observe the leaves above him. He supposed, if he’d ever given much thought to such things, that he would have found being a time-traveler more stressful. It had been at first. It had felt like there were a thousand things to do, and catch up with, and stop, but honestly, he’d found that after ten years in the past, the worst rights had been wronged, certain people were already dead, and things were so incredibly different now that it didn’t matter one way or another.

He’d changed so much already, he couldn’t even guess what could happen anymore. That might have been terrifying to someone else, but Kakashi was relieved. If he didn’t know what was going to happen, then it could be someone else’s problem. The responsibility could be shared.

He wished he’d arrived in time to save Minato, though. And Kushina. Minato had a thing about fall, had liked to wax on about the ways it represented how fleeting life was, and how the coming of spring meant hope or something. Kakashi had never listened. Wished, quietly, that he had, but if there was one thing years in the past had taught him, it was that there were some things he could change, and some things he couldn’t, and trying to force the issue one way or another would just lead to disappointment.

Besides. At least he didn’t have to do it alone. 

“Put that away.”

Obito scowled down at him, scarred face twisting adorably at the sight of Kakashi’s book.

A better man might have dealt with more important things, greater evils, or even a certain plant-monster that instead took him five years to track down and burn to a crisp, but Kakashi had arrived in the past with only one real goal. 

Obito. Always.

And now he was here, so Kakashi beamed at him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be training the brats?”

In the distance, he heard the distinct sound of a tree, cracking and screeching as it fell to the ground, far enough away that the ground only shook a little, the accompanying war cry could only be barely heard. Sakura’s, by the pitch. Her’s was always the loudest anyways.

Then, he heard the woosh and thump, the familiar sound of a branch swinging around to catch her in her moment of triumph. Obito was a bastard like that. It was so cute.

“I am training the brats,” Obito said and sat down next to him. “Which is your job, by the way.”

Another tree went up in flames in the distance, if his ears weren’t mistaken. Sasuke’s katons were really coming along well. 

Then another was felled. And another. Obito didn’t even have to think anymore, or even watch really, as his trees tormented their adorable little students.

“Seems a bit unfair,” the Hatake said, idly flipping a page. He hadn’t read the last one yet, but he had it memorized and it would annoy Obito to think that he hadn’t been paying attention to him, so, it was worth it.

“Yes. Yes it is.”

“No, I mean, you’re cheating,” Kakashi grinned at him from under the mask, with his eyes closed in delight. “Using the trees. They have feelings too, you know.”

Obito punished him by taking his book. Kakashi might have let him. Impossible to tell.

“Shut up, Bakashi. You could train your own students for once, you know.”

“Hm,” Kakashi neither agreed nor disagreed.

Instead, he looked up at Obito, looking at him, and wondered what he could have possibly done to deserve not only a second chance, but a second chance with a man he loved.

“Quit it,” Obito said.

“Quit what?”

“Looking at me with that stupid look on your face. It’s unnerving.”

“I don’t have anything else to look at. You took my book.”

Obito rolled his eyes so hard, Kakashi thought he might be trying to make them fall out of his own head, a feat that would have happened years ago if it were ever going to happen at all.

What could he say? He was a time-traveller. And, you know, himself. Exasperating probably didn’t even begin to cover it. 

“How about your students? You could go look at them? And maybe, I don’t know, teach them something?” said Obito, obviously trying to sound more annoyed than he was. Kakashi wasn’t fooled though. He could see the smile beginning to tug at the other man’s face.

It had taken years for that smile to come back. Years, and worth every moment. 

“Why?” he replied, carelessly. “You do such a good job with them. You don’t need my help.”

That was a fact. Obito, as it turned out, though surprising to no one who really knew them, was a far better and more natural teacher than Kakashi would ever be. He had more compassion, more resilience, and a better heart. Once, when Kakashi had first spent a year trying to bring him back to sanity, he’d worried that that heart was gone forever, but he shouldn’t have been. Even at his craziest, Obito had been driven by compassion, a bit poorly directed and practiced, but still. Some things never change. 

Obito had a big heart. He needed to fill it. It was better now that he had something attainable to direct all that compassion towards. 

“Shut up,” Obito groused, but he was pleased. Kakashi was too. 

He still missed his book though. Idly, he thought about breaking out his back up, but he wasn’t sure if Obito knew about the backup yet and didn’t want to tempt fate, or Obito, into taking it off him. His students were all well and good, but he could go without any tree-wrangling today.

That thought was well and truly derailed when Obito twisted next to him, layed down, and rested his head on Kakashi’s stomach to gaze up at the leaves with him. On instinct, fought and won with hard practice, Kakashi let his hand rest on Obito’s chest.

“It’s lovely,” he said looking up at the tree. “My trees never do that.”

“Do what?” Kakashi asked. He knew, but he thought Obito might need to say it.

“Change color. I guess they never get the chance.”

That was true, Kakashi supposed. Obito used his gift almost exclusively for combat. Yamato had played around a bit with his, learning to build ever more intricate houses, but for Obito, mokuton had always seemed like a burden, to match the scars it gave him.

Obito raised up his hand, wove it out from under Kakashi’s arm and held the scarred flesh up to the trees.

“They could. You should grow some and see sometime.”

“Hmph.”

Obito dropped his hand.

(They both quietly ignored the shouts of “Look out!” and indignant squawks that echoed in the distance.)

“I’m serious,” Kakashi insisted.

“I know you are,” Obito said, but he sighed under Kakashi’s hand. “I’ll think about it.”

That wasn’t a no. Kakashi would take it. 

It was peaceful here. The leaves changing, the wind rustling them as it passed them by. Kakashi could feel time ticking by, but it didn’t frighten him the way it used to. It was time well spent, he thought, idly rubbing Obito’s chest just to feel the fabric under his fingertips. Feel him breathe and just be there with him. It was an autumn moment, morose with the gray sky, but with the assurance that spring would soon come again, as it always did.

… Kakashi still kind of wanted his book though.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Huffing, Kakashi bounced his head on the ground a bit.

“You know it’s only a matter of time before they realize you’re not over there?”

“So? You’re their actual sensei. You deal with it-”

“Oi!”

Right on cue. Naruto’s timing was rather impeccable no matter what timeline they were in.

“Are you two being gross again? You’re supposed to be training us, not ignore us for each other!”

“Shut up, Naruto-baka! They’re adorable!” Sakura said, cooing, knowing full well that would annoy Obito more than yelling at him. Especially since they all knew she thought it was true, something she would loudly broadcast to the rest of the village whenever the moment was at its most embarrassing for her teachers.

“Hmph,” Sasuke crossed his arms. He was still trying to look cool. It didn’t work back when he had the whole angsting anti-hero, and certainly didn’t work now when he so clearly just thought Obito was cool enough to try and emulate.

The lack of tragic backstory made it only slightly hilarious this time. Kakashi made sure to laugh at him. And Obito. Whenever they both crossed their arms and cocked their hips in unison. Loudly.

“You sure I can’t kill them?” Obito asked him or the sky.

“The murder of children is frowned upon in polite society,” replied Kakashi blithely.

“Ugh.”

Obito hauled himself up. Then stood over him, and reached down with one hand. The sun was behind him and he looked glorious.

“Come on, Bakashi. Let’s show these kids how it’s done.”

Well. He supposed there were worse ways to spend an afternoon.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! 
> 
> To the dear Tobito, who submitted this prompt for an hour long gift exchange:
> 
> List two favorite pairings (romantic or platonic): Kakaobi, platonic kakayama  
> Favorite cozy beverage: Boba tea, vinegar  
> 3 things you love to do in the fall: enjoy the most comfortable weather ever and do the halloweens  
> One sentence prompt: “The tree has feelings too!" (haha cause obito and yamato both have mokuton-)  
> Preferred genres: teeth rotting fluff, crack, timetravel?
> 
> Which, to be fair, is pretty far out of my comfort zone, (short and happy, oh my!) but was very fun to try something new. Thanks to my lovely beta LostInThePines who looked this over for any silly mistakes I no doubt made. I hope you like it! Let me know what you think or drop me a kudos on the way out if you liked it <3
> 
> -Moth


End file.
